The invention pertains to a steering column switch for motor vehicles comprising a support sleeve which may be mounted on the end of a steering tube. In the support sleeve there is mounted a bearing, especially a roller bearing, for a steering spindle between an internal collar integrally formed on the said support sleeve and a retaining ring.
A steering column switch of this kind is for example known from the German petty Pat. No. 7,524,815. Switches of this kind are also mounted in motor vehicles presently in production. The support sleeve of these switches is made of zinc die-casting material. A roller bearing in the support sleeve is secured in the axial direction by a support on the internal collar. In the other axial direction in which the roller bearing has to endure very high axial forces it is secured by a retaining ring formed by pressing material of the support sleeve over the front side of the roller bearing.
German specification AS No. 28 28 592 shows a steering column switch with a support sleeve which has been made of plastics material and in which a roller bearing is held as in a metal support sleeve. However the retaining ring of plastics material is not capable of reliably transmitting the high forces onto the support sleeve. High forces have to be taken up by the roller bearing under certain circumstances and there exists the risk that the retaining ring will break. Consequently the roller bearing and steering spindle can be pushed out of the steering tube.
If the support sleeve is made of metal, this risk is smaller, but under certain circumstances the stability might still not be great enough.